Review: Godox MS300/MS200 Monolight Studio Strobe Flash (Flashpoint BLAZ 300)
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- Check out the most updated pricing here:
MS300: geni.us/ms300 - MS200: geni.us/ms200
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Kyle Warren | Photo - Video - Music
I do all things photography, videography, and audio related! Creating things and helping others create their own.
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Video Description -
Hey everyone! It took me way too long, but I finally finished my full review of the Godox MS300/MS200 AKA Flashpoint BLAZ 300. I did a bunch of testing and even used it on a client shoot where I did around 30 professional headshots in a San Francisco tech startup office.
I have a whole mess of good things to say about this flash. The Godox MS300 or Flashpoint BLAZ 300 is a studio flash/strobe/moonlight that is pretty much unmatched in its weight class. If you look at the cost of the flash against the feature set and build quality, it's just unmatched. That doesn't mean it isn't without its flaws... The inexpensive price tag does come with some compromises. Some very important compromises.
But, if you are looking into getting involved with studio strobe flash photography as a beginner - or intermediate - then this can be an excellent option. For beginners, this allows you to learn the mechanics and to start investing in practice as well as accessories like light modifiers. When you are ready to graduate to a more robust studio strobe, all the light modifiers, triggers, light stands, and the rest will be compatible and you will be able to retain your investment. This flash will help you grow at a low opportunity cost.
I go into detail in the video on the benefits/compromises as well as who this flash is for/not for.
I hope you enjoy!
Also... Here are some basic specs on the MS300/MS200:
- MS300 - 300 watts - Guide 58m @ ISO100
- MS200 - 200 watts - Guide 53m @ ISO100
- 1/1 to 1/32 power
- Recycle time of 1.8s at full power
- 5600k strobe temperature
- 150 watt modeling lamp
- adjustable by 5% increments
- Can be constant or dim on flash
- AC powered
- Integrated Bowens mount
- Triggering
- Compatible with all Godox X Wireless triggers/flash commander units
- I tested both Godox X Pro and Godox V1
- Optically Triggered
- S1/S2 modes
- 2.5mm trigger cable
For controls, you have a rotary dial and 5 buttons on the back that let you control all of the functionality of the strobe. To trigger the flash, you have four options: 2.5mm sync cable, optical slave, a USB wireless control port, or using a Godox X Wireless trigger. For wireless, you have 16 groups and 32 channels to work with.
Now for the main drawback of the flash...
- NO HIGH-SPEED SYNC -
Which means you are limited to a max shutter speed is 1/250th of a second on your camera.
I use four MS200’s (V) in a relatively small studio, 3 meter wide and 4 meter deep. Two of them are in softboxes (main and fill-in), two of them have barndoors with colour filters (red and blue) installed for the background. The main flash is set at 1/8, the fill-in flash is set at 1/32. The background flashes are set to 1/1 and 1/2. I typically shoot at ISO 200, F4. So in my setup the MS300’s would have been overkill.
hey...thank you for making tutorials about lights(speedlight blah blah blah)..... super helpful... i didn't know anything about flashes...but these tutorials are helping me to undderstand... you are explaining even the buttons in the flashes.. no one do that,and that is why you are special...
thanks again.... love to learn more..
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I think your own video carries the answer to your ms200 conundrum. It's all about the low end power. The 200 will allow you to use less power when it's needed. 1/32 is not low enough in many multi strobe cases. But the 200 might be able to get the job done in situations where the 300 would just be too much. And what I am finding odd is that in my research now the 200 and 300 are the same price for the most part. I can also find the 300 for less. I assume it all comes down to the power output level. In studio 200 is more than enough. And 300 is better on the high end. It's the low end that becomes an issue. F godox for messing with us!
Its been hours whilist l have been trying to see whether if l should get the 200 or 300. Thanks a lot, for indoor , 200 would do
Just what I was searching for. Very clear info, many thanks!
Hi Lindsay.
Can you use a Monolight for video? do they have an "always on" mode?
Hi there, the modeling lamp on this flash really won’t service for video. You could be better served by grabbing a inexpensive LED light, they are much brighter. Happy filming!
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The MS200 is for smaller spaces. As mentioned you only can go so far down in power with the MS series.
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Question: could you use the 300 as the key and the 200 for the fill?
You convinced me ! I bought one yesterday 😂
This monolight is a real value, but can you comment on the flash duration which is far more critical for stop-action photography than HSS.
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I want to transition from speedlites to monolights this might be a good starter light
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Hi, I know this is an old video but I’m curious about your comments on the high speed sync. I have a Godox speedlight and have not had to use hss even to freeze water drops in mid air as the flash itself is so quick it freezes the motion even with the shutter at 1/250th. Do studio strobes have longer flashes perhaps? I always thought of hss as a way to cut down the background light when you can’t control it. Thanks for a useful video!
In the studio you freeze motion by cutting all the lights, and using the strobe flash duration. If you pre-focus on subject in a totally dark studio, you freezer motion even with a 2 seconds shutter speed. It's the strobe light release for a fraction of second that freezes the motion, not the shutter. So of course you easily freeze at 1/250s without HSS, which is totally useless in the studio. The guy clearly knows nothing about studio lighting.
this is the comment i was looking for.
What is the difference between the Godox MS300 versus the Godox SK300II Studio Strobe ?? I have various Godox products now, including the Godox X2T trigger, Godox AD200Pro, Godox V1, Godox 685. Therefore with those existing Godox products for my gear, is the MS300 or the SK300II better for me for compatibility? I just want to light one or two people and light small products too.
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Hi
I guess the ms200 is for some other countries like mine -Iran- and I just Bought it because of its amazing price.
Thats not a bad idea... I woudlnt be surprised if that were true. They are great flashes! thats for sure. I just didnt understand why both of them would be sold next to each other
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Most of my film SLRs have a flash sink spead of 1/60th and can freeze water droplets. Is 1/250th really not fast enough to freeze drunk people jostling about?
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You can change the bulb by unscrew it counterclockwise,
Heyya Amber, are you referring to the modeling lamp? Because - yes - the modeling lamp is easily replaced. I was talking about the actual flash bulb. At the time I didn’t want to damage my unit because there was zero documentation on how to change it. But… I’ve heard people say you can pull the bulb out. But I haven’t even come close to wearing out mine.
Replacing the flash tube is easy. You do not have to take the whole thing apart.
I can't believe you think it's hard or difficult. I've done it many times...
Thank you for making this video. I’m just getting started into strobe lighting. Will check this out. If you had to recommend ONE strobe that does offer high speed sync amongst other bells and whistles, which one would that be? The reason why I ask is because I don’t intend to multiplying strokes as photography is my hobby, I’m OK to spend a little extra for something that’s a good all rounder.
Hi there Lakshay, thanks for the feedback! And would say this would be the last flash you would need for a good long while... it is a huge upgrade from the MS series... wireless, more power, HSS, battery powered... give it a look.
amzn.to/34mEONf
Thanks for replying. I’m gonna go ahead with this purchase. I’d rather bite the bullet once. Should I go for GoodRx wireless trigger for my Nikon D7000? Godox XPro-N i-TTL 2.4G High-Speed Sync Wireless Flash Trigger Transmitter Compatible for Nikon Cameras, 1/8000s,11 Customizable Functions,16 Groups and 32 Channels smile.amazon.com/dp/B07BKXFZ86/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mDzKFb41PA207
Yes, you will need the Nikon version of the Godox trigger. I actually even did a review of that one 🙃 good choice
Hate to keep bothering you. I have ordered the AD400 pro. Do you know if it comes with a power cable? I’ll mostly be shooting indoors and why keep using a battery pack? Thank you.
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I have two Godox AD 200s which I use at on location shoots. Would it make sense for me to pick up this light? I am planning to do more studio work, but not sure if I need a stronger main light.
Good morning Kyle. I was watching a video with the MS300II and the photographer was able to shoot HSS. At first, I thought it was a joke but then it seemed real so I decided to test my new just received MS300. So I started with 1/160 sec 1/32 power, as I increased the shutter speed on my camera I up the power on the strobe until I got to 1/1 power and 1/8000 sec on the camera and it worked it took the picture with no curtain interfering. I am using the XPro set on HHS can you explain how is that possible?
Hey again! So the MS300 has no TTL abilities and isn't rated for HHS. I triple checked on a few websites right after seeing your comment. But how would that be possible? The combination of kit you are using, distance from the flash, angle of camera vs. the flash, it and other combination of factors could be the reason for this working. The main issue is that any success is a sort of fluke and not something you would want to build a strategy around, especially professionally. I will do some testing, but even if I get some positive results im tentative to share it because in don't want folks picking up the flash and being disappointed.
Hay, I was watched 2 videos 1 with MS 300II and 1 with SK 400II and they both did the same so I tested with this one and it worked however you are correct I will not think that is part of the unit besides I will be using it indoor for portraits any ways thank you.
@@SeeItLoud I have the MS300 and the X2T trigger on a Sony A7iii and HSS does seem to work (and shows HSS logo on the camera info panel as well as the trigger.) From what I could find there's rumor that this is something that the Sony A7iii is doing however I have no idea if that's true or not and don't have another body to test with and see if there is a difference. I agree it should not be advertised as being able to handle HSS but it is worth noting that it is not impossible and with the right combination of gear, may work. I tested this heavily and have not had ONE bad photo with any curtain interference and am pretty confident I can use this strobe at any shutter and still get the shot. I would love to know the reason why this works and have been trying to research it and so far have only found people like me who can make it work but don't know why. Just my two cents. Great video, clean and to the point. Thanks!
btobin hello I have a Nikon D500 I’m using the xPro and I’m also able to shoot at 1/8000 how ever if you look closely it seems the power of the flash drops.
Do you use any modifier or just bare flash? I did always make "HSS" photo in any flash with full power and bare flash and it worked..maybe ms300 work like my way? Or ms300 is capable doing HSS but not advertised? Some review it does but other said it doesn't work..so confusing
High speed sync seems to work fine with my Adorama Zoom R2 TTL. There are no buttons on the MS 300 to designate high speed sink, but if you enable it on your trigger it just works. I am using mine on a Canon camera and the high speed sync Worked all the way up to my cameras maximum shutter speed of 1/4000. Of course you lose lots of power (all flash units have lower outputs at high speed sync), but other than that it works fine.
I also tried it out using my Legacy CE RoHS trigger. High speed sync work fine with with that system as well.
And please try high speed sync with you Camera and transmitter and let me know if it works for you.
thanks, good video
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One correction The 250th of a second will not apply to all camera bodies the sync speech will be subject to the specific camera being used look at tour user manual to see what it is
Hey there Robert, what I am referring to with the 1/250th max speed is the flashes limitation without high speed sync capabilities. It will not sync faster than 1/250 with any camera.
Ok I get it now sorry about that,
@@SeeItLoud Hi Robert, I ran some tests just yesterday and was able to fire these at up to 1/8000, on both my cameras (mirrorless and "regular"DSLR).
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Please advice me ..regarding what kind of stand of the lighting can be choosed for better and recommended?
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I currently have a Flashpoint xplor 600 and just invested in a seamless paper background. For some time I have had my eyes on this since I truly need something that will light my background or subject as a second source light source. Also, I do not need another high-speed sync so that is not a deal-breaker for me. Would you recommend this for basic work?
Oh yes I definetly do. So long as HSS is not something you need to be worried about... this will seamlessly work into that kit. I recommend for a 2nd light source in that kit.
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Please help
Should I buy godox MS 200w/300w or I go with Godox sl60 60w 5600k
And I want to know if these lights can do white light coz I don't need warmer yellow lights
I don't know much about these lights
Nice review, If we have leaf shutter then lack of HSS is not an issue right?
Hey there Jayalal, yes if you have a leaf shutter you won’t be directly affected by the lack of HSS. On the whole, I would say that HSS is a more straight forward system to achieve those results... but if you have gear that you can exploit those leaf shutter lenses already... then you should be good to go with this strobe. Happy shooting!!
@@SeeItLoud Thank you
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Good review. I have been needing something to replace my hotshoes for studio work which I mostly use to power my stripboxes and it seens like these would do nicely.
Ok, quick update...I grabbed 2 of these for the price. They have been doing a great job. Yesterday I decided to run some sync tests. I use them to power my stripboxes. I was able to shoot at up to my max camera shutter speed (1/8000) and these babies fired. I thought it was a fluke, so I tried several lower shutter speeds (all above my cameras' native max sync speed). I had an AD600 as main and these as rim/kickers and I was able to fire these babies with no issues. No shutter curtain problems at all.
@@MarkAKathurima Hi, it's great that they worked for you in HSS. Could you tell me which transmitter you use or how did you use them in HSS?
And with regard to handheld flashes, how much power do you see difference?
@@robertobimbela3169 I use the Godox X1 trigger.
Regarding handheld flash, I haven't done a side-by-side power comparisoon, but I definitely get a lot more mileage from these units; more light output and no worrying about batteries running out mid-shoot. That used to happen to me a lot and even with a fully charged set of AAs, you can only push them so hard. These ones go all day. I recently swapped out the modelling lamp for a much cooler LED type.
I hope this helps you.
@@MarkAKathurima of course, thank you very much for the information.
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How would you use this wired? Is that how strobe lights usually work? You connec them to a camera or something?
The bulb screws on.
Hello sir, if I take 2 Godox ms300 monolights will be enough to do good portrait biometric photos for ID?
Hey. Did not hear clearly. Did younsay lowest f. I can use is 1/50 or 1/250?
Can this be used with a Canon M3 camera?
Sure can, you’d need a trigger remote or a trigger cable compatible. Godox makes a trigger specific for canon. I have a review on the X1 trigger on my channel 😁
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I recently bought 2 MS300V strobes. I did find how to remove and replace the flash tube on this UA-cam channel - ua-cam.com/video/1pn_VppuyrU/v-deo.html. Not hard at all. However, I found that for whatever reason, Godox is not shipping replacements right now. No notice as to when they will have them available. The major photo gear sites have not been able to get them.
Looking at the MS-200 and the MS-300 side by side they are most probably the same thing inside with difference of the wattage output. Companies like to produce an entry-level and an intermediate version of the same item with very little changes. The trickery will be on the PCB or an extra voltage capacitor somewhere. I worked at Samsung in an assembly line for a while. Changes to certain PCB-s are sometimes are minor and it may be an extra component or the lack of it, but it gives the opportunity for a company to make two or more products from one.
I hope Godox doesn’t continue this practice... or at least if they do... they make a material difference... like maybe 300watt and a 500 or 600 watt
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Do you not recommend the Godox MS200 because it's so close to the MS300 in specifications and price or just because it's a bad strobe?
Hey there Brendan, thanks for reaching out! No, it’s not a bad strobe, it’s just that it is essentially the same thing as the MS300 for an incremental additional cost. I, frankly, don’t know why Godox made both models 🤷🏻♂️
@@SeeItLoud I figured that would be the case. Thank you for clarifying. Also bit of an odd question but would the modelling light be sufficient as a video light if you ran it through a softbox?
I do not think that the modeling lamp would be helpful for continuous video lighting. I would say that it’s enough to tell where shadows might fall when the flash bulb pops... but it may be bright enough with a soft box if it’s nice and close. One other issue I would imagine is that it’s a very warm light, so white balancing would be an issue if you are using multiple lights.
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Hey sorry i dont really understand bcs of my english. But i have ms300, can i use continuous light? If i can, what light should i use? Because i asked the seller and they say ms300 can't use continous light. Please enlighten me😊
Hi there, happy to help! So the continuous light on the MS300 is the modeling lamp. It’s not great for actually taking photos or video, but is best used for testing to see how the flash will fall on the subject. Look for the “modeling lamp” instructions in the manual for how to use it 😊
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are the fans loud on these?
Hey Key, thanks for reaching out. I can’t say I ever noticed the fan sounds. That being said I never maxed out the thing to test it. So I can safely say under moderate use I never noticed the fan.
The hardest I ever pushed it was during a corporate headshot gig for about 40 people.
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Hi, sorry noob question but does this kind of lighting equipment have continuous light?
yes it has man but the modeling light is 150w and warm light. you can custom that light with cooler temp.
This does have the modeling light but it’s really not designed for continuous lighting. And as Tony said... the bulb it comes with isn’t great for that.
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Hi! I had the same question. So If I need white light I need to buy a new bulb?
Can I adjust white balance on Godox ms200?
Is the ms300 good for outside photo shoots??
Hi, ms300 is better than sk300ii?
Yes, believe the ms300 goes to 1/32 compared to 1/16 power. But SK has a better built at the cost of size.
@@ERoossien thank you. I have bought ms300
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Now is it still working?
only £103 on Amazon UK
Thats a bargain !
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Can I use it for video recording?
Hi there Samuel! Happy to help - anything that has strobe or flash in the name will normally not be the best for video. Most strobes will have a modeling lamp that will give you continuous light - these flashes do too. But those light are normally low quality or not bright enough for video. They are just there to give you an idea where the light will fall when the flash goes off. So I do not recommend these for video. What sorts of videos do you do? I could offer some suggestions 😀
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@@SeeItLoud I get your point. Probably CRI won't be that great, maybe there's a color cast etc. but if it an LED lamp, 150w is REALLY powerful, considering they have the SL series starting from 60w. Any specs of the lamp you know of?
Hey, this guy is kinda cute